A CERTAIN PATH IN UNCERTAIN TIMES.
Ken Graydon

 

These are difficult, trying and uncertain days. We face every kind on uncertainty. Rising tides of terrorism, crime, corruption, political chicanery and economic failures surround us. The clash of vastly different cultures and life values between religions and political entities offer no easy solutions in ‘flash points’ around the world.

The various religions are dissolving into warring parties. Different sects of Islam feud with each other, there are varieties of Christianity to either support or oppose every kind of behaviour – they offer no path of certainty, just confusion, corruption and the abyss.

What must the CREATOR of the Universe think of this? He put before us all a path of surety. Do as I say and be blessed – disobey me and be cursed.

Is your life, your family and your community being blessed or being cursed?

 

IT’S SIMPLE BUT NOT EASY

The words of the Tanakh [I use the JPS 1999 edition] offer the simple choices that ETERNAL puts before us of things He will surely do. They are your choices. You have to take responsibility for your own actions. When Cain complained to ETERNAL that his sacrifice was not heeded; this is what ETERNAL said [Genesis 4: 6,7]

And ETERNAL said to Cain “Why are you distressed and why is your face fallen? Surely if you do right, there is uplift. But if you do not do right sin couches at the door; its urge is toward you, yet you can be its master.”

Sin does not grab you and make you do wrong things. If you make wrong choices you fall into sin. It is only you that can repent and seek forgiveness from ETERNAL. No-one else has, or can, take your place. If you have believed that, then you have been misled. It is a blasphemy to suggest that the CREATOR of the Universe did such a poor job in setting up the world we live in that He would need to create a ‘son’ [and do this by impregnating an unsuspecting young single woman when He has previously created people out of the dust] who also would fail in the mission and need to have a second chance of trying to put things right. No wonder the people who believe that are confused.

My wife and I found these truths after conducting a project, which took three months, of investigating every ‘new testament’ verse which claimed an ‘old testament’ verse as its basis for truth. The results were shocking to us, we were in leadership positions of a growing ‘church’ and walked away from it all. We were determined to find the truth and our prayers were answered as we did the work. This is ETERNAL’s way. Many times in the Tanakh He tells a ruler of Israel “You will win this battle” but they still had to take the field and have the war. You do not have gift-wrapped truths dropped at your feet – pray and do the work.

The Tanakh was written for everyone – it is not a Jewish book. It contains the simple directions for living the ETERNAL-blessed life. The Ten Commandments [note ‘commandments’, not just good ideas] offer a code of living that will enable you to be blessed. You have to follow all of them. This is the simple [but not easy] way to the path of certainty. Will you worship only ETERNAL? Not mythical family members or associates. Will you dispense with carved images or pictures of alternative ways of worship [like crosses, beads or medals]? Will you keep the biblical Sabbath, sunset Friday to sunset Saturday?

Will you stop, or not be involved in, adultery, stealing, coveting or wronging your parents?

Until the third Temple is built, which is after the true messiah comes, you do not need anyone to be between you and ETERNAL. You may, and should, have a one-to-one relationship as between the CREATOR and His creation. When the Temple is built and the priesthood is restored we will need to join the messiah for the feasts and festivals but until that happy day you should pray to and talk with ETERNAL because He wants to communicate with you.

 

ETERNAL ON YOUR MIND

 

There is a prayer called ‘The Shema’, which is, in one sense, at the heart of the religion of Judaism. It is within the passage of Deuteronomy I want to share with you and explain.

The Jewish people are only one twelfth part of Israel. The kingdom of Israel was conquered by the Assyrians and taken away to the North, never to return. The kingdom of Judah was conquered by the Babylonians and taken captive for seventy years, after which they began to return and the second Temple was built. The people of Israel have over successive migrations become immersed within other nations around the world. ETERNAL gives several prophecies saying that He will call together a remnant of Israel and of strangers who attach themselves to His Name [Jeremiah 23:3, Ezekiel 6:8, Micah 2:12, 5:5, Zechariah 8:6 and others].

Deuteronomy 6: 1 – 9. And this is the Instruction – the laws and the rules – that ETERNAL your CREATOR has commanded me [Moses is speaking] to impart to you, to be observed in the land that you are about to cross into and occupy, so that you, your children and your children’s children may revere ETERNAL your CREATOR and follow, as long as you live, all His laws and commandments that I enjoin upon you, to the end that may long endure. Obey O Israel, willingly and faithfully, that it may go well with you and that you may increase greatly in a land flowing with milk and honey, as ETERNAL the CREATOR of your fathers, spoke to you. Hear, O Israel! ETERNAL is our CREATOR, ETERNAL alone. You shall love ETERNAL your CREATOR with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. Take to heart these instructions with which I charge you this day. Impress them upon your children. Recite them when you stay at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you get up. Bind them as a sign on your hand and let them serve as a symbol on your forehead; inscribe them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

ETERNAL wants us to be obedient to Him willingly and publicly. The rewards are wonderful and obvious. Things will go well with and you may long endure, increasing greatly in a land flowing with milk and honey. Let His words guide you every day and night. Bind them as a sign on your hand means – let the work of your hands demonstrate the path you walk. The symbol on your forehead is to show that ETERNAL directs your thinking. Inscribe them on the doorposts is a reminder of the ‘Passover’ when the Israelites had to publicly show, by putting blood on the doorposts, that they lived in that house. Your lifestyle should show that the people living where you live are obedient to ETERNAL. The gates of the city were the places of government and decision making. Do your decisions and the way your life is governed show the influence of ETERNAL?

ETERNAL offers you certainty – the world does not. Your safety, your security, your prosperity will come from the blessings of ETERNAL as you are obedient only to Him. There is no other path that will relieve you of uncertainty. You must decide and you must act. No-one else can do this for you.

 

kennygee@bigpond.com